Elevating planes for aeroplanes



244. AHUNAU l lU J. F. H. DE V. VANDEVELDE ELEVATING PLANES FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 24. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gwyn/tof I F H De V. VanLcLav/@Zcle miauw;

244. AERONAUTICS ct. 30 1923. 1,472,103V

J. F. H. DE V. VANDEVELDE ELEVATING PLANES FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 24, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 244| HinUNHU l lvv Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES JEAN FRDRIC HENRI DE VIGNON VANDEVELDE, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

ELEVATING- PLANES FOR AEROPLAN ES.

Application iled November 24, 1920. Serial No. 426,317.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JEAN FRDRIC HENRI DE VIGNoN VANDEVELDE, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in or Relating to Elevating lanes for Aeroplanes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in lifting planes for aeroplanes and has for its object the simultaneous operation of the inclination and the curvature of the lifting planes, which is adapted to increase the speed of the aeroplane and the weight to be carried.

The essential feature of the present invention is that during the Hight the elevating planes are rotatable within certain limits as herein described about an axis fixed transversely to the body of the aeroplane. The operation to produce a simultaneous change in the inclination and the curvature of the lifting planes is effected, by rotation round this axis, either by the pilot directly or with an auxiliary motor by means of a wire or rod connection, or by the air pressure on the lifting planes, or by both means simultaneously.

According to the invention the lifting plane system is rotated in a known manner round an axis transverse to the body of the aeroplane. This axis however is so placed with respect to the lifting plane system that with the operation of the various inclinations and eurvatures within definite limits practically no displacement of the centre of pressure takes place relative to the centre of gravity of the whole apparatus. Thls is achieved by moving the llfting planes backwards or forwards with respect to the aeroplane body during the operation.

If, for example in an increase of the inclination and the curvature which would move the centre of pressure forward, the lifting plane system is rotated and the upper plane is moved backwards and the lower plane forwards, more of the system must be moved backwards than forwards in order that the centre of pressure of the whole system is not moved relative to th-e centre of gravity of the whole apparatus. This fundamental idea is applicable as much to multiple planes as to biplanes.

Further according to the invention in lifting plane systems in which the rear portion of each plane is hinged to the front portion the former can be composed of left and right separate parts which are fastened by means 0f rods or wires to a fixed point on the aeroplane body in such a way that theyT move together for a change in the inclination of the planes and can be moved independently in opposite senses in each positio-n under the action of a steering rod. Further according to the invention a spring device can be arranged in the operating mechanism so that during the Hight this device is stretched by the air pressure on the lifting planes and automatically decreases or increases the inclination and the curvature of the lifting plane simultaneously on a sudden rise or fall of this air pressure.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated in two modifications, for, a biplane and for a monoplane.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the construction for the biplane.

Figure 2 illustrates the application of the invention to a monoplane.

Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically Some of the details of a control mechanism for a biplane.

The lifting planes 1 and 2 of the biplane are mutually connected by struts 3 forming a unit which is fixed rotatably on a spindle 4 to the aeroplane body.

The operating device consists of a hand lever 11 which is hinged to a fixed point 12 of the aeroplane body and to a bar 13 on which are held rods 14 and 15 connected respectively to the upper and lower planes, the bar 13 being hinged separately to the same point 12.

Between the hand lever 11 and the bar 13 is inserted a spring 16 which transmits the motion of the lever 11 to the bar 13.

While the resultant of the upwardly directed forces on the two lifting planes acts at a point behind the centre of rotation 4 (in the ligure on the right hand side of the centre of rotation) the spring 16 will be somewhat compressed during the iight and this compression causes a rotation of the unit to the left, in the drawings, the inclination and the curvature of the lifting planes being automatically decreased. If the pressure on the lifting planes suddenly falls, the spring 16 is stretched and the unit is turned to the right the inclination and the curvature being automatically increased. The control of the inclination and the curvature is effected by hand by motion of the hand lever 11. An auxiliary motor can also be used to effect this.

The flaps 5 and 6 of thel lifting planes extend over the whole span of these planes and consist of left and right halves which move simultaneously downwards on an increase of the inclination and the curvature and also independently in opposite directions under the action of the steering rod 7.

The control mechanism for the flaps is shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The flaps 5 and 6 are held in position by means of -a pair of struts 8 and wires 17 and 18. The wire 17 runs over rollers 9 and 9 and controls the two lower flaps 5. The wire 18 runs over rollers 10 and 10 and controls the two upper flaps 6. The rollers 9 and 10 are fixed to the aeroplane body for instance to the motor supports which may be extended for this purpose past the spindle 4, The wire 18 is connected to the steering lever 7 in a manner similar to that employed for the usual aileron cable.

If now the lever 11 is moved backwards so that the plane unit turns in a clockwise direction (in Figure 1) round its spindle 4, the inclination of the main p-lanes is increased and at the same time a pull is exerted on the wire 18 thereby moving the upper flaps 6 downwards and therefore also the lower flaps 5 through the struts 8, so that the effective curvature of the planes is also increased. For this purpose the rollers 9 and 10 are placed at different distances from the center of rotation 4 corresponding to the difference in distance to this center from the rollers 9 and 10.

The steering is effected in the ordinary manner by means of the steering lever 7. For instance if the pilot moves this lever over to the left a pull is exerted on the right hand branch of the wire 18 thus lowering the right upper flap. This motion is transmitted by the right strut 8 to the right lower flap which thus pulls the wire 17, this motion being transmitted over the rollers 9 and 9 to raise the left lower ap and therefore also through the left strut 8 the left upper flap. Thus if the steering lever 7 is moved to the left, the right hand fiaps are moved down and the left hand iaps up. Exactly the reverse operation takes place when the steering lever is moved to the right.

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the construction for a monoplane of the umbrella type in which the spindle of rotation of the lifting plane 1 is indicatedby 4. The hand lever 11 is hinged to the fixed point 12 of the aeroplane body. The bar 13 is separately hinged at the same point 12. On the bar 13 are hinged connecting rods 14 and 20. The rod 14 serves for the operation of the inclination, and the rod 20 which can be moved by the steering rod 7 carries a rod 21 to operate the curvature. Between the lever 11 and the bar 13 is larranged a spring 16.

The advantages accruing from a construction according to this invention are as follows. lVith a definite load to be carried the inclination and the curvature of the lifting plane system can be operated in such a manner that sufficient lifting power is obtained with comparatively small speed and therefore the aeroplane can rise from the ground after running only a short distance. Similarly on landing less speed is necessary for at the moment when the aeroplane touches the ground the inclination and the curvature can be increased beyond the critical angle, whereupon the lifting power falls and the resistance increases enormously. The whole elevating plane system thus acts as a strong air brake and brings the aeroplane to rest within a. short distance. During the flight the inclination and the curvature can be maintained quite small allowing for the load to be carried and sufhcient lifting power can be obtained to maintain the machine at a desired altitude. Vith this small inclination and curvature the resistance is also small and thus the speed greater, that is to say the excess of lifting power is employed to assist the forward motion. It follows therefore that each load can be carried in the most economical way while the capacity of the motor to achieve any definite result can be less.

By the automatic spring operation of the inclination and the curvature the stability of the machine longitudinally is guaranteed and the whole construction has much less to suffer from sudden gusts of wind.

The invention is no-t limited to the types of construction described and its details can be modified in various ways. It can be applied equally well to monoplanes, biplanes or multiplanes.

What I claim is:

1. Lifting planes for aeroplanes, the combination with a spindle fixed transversely to the body of the aeroplane, of a lifting plane system divided transversely into front yand rear portions hinged together, the rear portion being divided longitudinally into separate right and left parts, the elevating plane system being rotatable about the spindle, a steering rod, flexible operating connections from the steering rod to the parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system, and means for rotating the lifting plane system through a small angle about the spindle, the connections being such that the two parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system move together during a change in the inclination of the system but move independently and oppositely under the action of the steering rod and flexible connections to effect a change of curvature of the system,

244| ALIUNHU I IDO and the spindle being so positioned and the shape and disposition of the lifting plane system such that a ch-ange of inclination of the elevating plane system is accompanied by a small rotation of the system about the spindle of such an extent that the centre of pressure of the lifting plane System experience practically no displacement relative to the centre of gravity of the whole aeroplane durin]g the change of inclination.

2. ifting planes for aeroplanes, the combination with a spindle fixed transversely to the body of the aeroplane, of a lifting plane system divided transversely into front and rear portions hinged together, the rear portion being divided longitudinally into separate right and left parts, the lifting plane system being rotatable about the spindle, a steering rod, flexible operating connections from the steering rod to the parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system, and means for rotating the lifting plane system through a small angle about .the spindle, the connections being such that the two parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system move together during a change in the inclination effecting simultaneously a change of curvature of ythe .system but move independently and oppositely under the action of the steering rod and flexible connections to effect a change of curvature of the system, and the spindle being so positioned and the shape and disposition of the lifting plane system such that a change of inclination of the lifting plane system is accompanied by a small rotation of the system about the spindle of such an extent that the centre of pressure of the lifting plane system experiences practically no displacement relative to the centre of gravity of the whole aeroplane during the change of inclination, the inclination and curvature of the elevating plane system being operated simultaneously by the same means.

8. In lifting planes for aeroplanes, the combination with a spindle fixed transversely to the body of the aeroplane, of a lifting plane system divided transversely into front and rear portions hinged together, the rear portion being divided longitudinally into separate right and left parts, a steering rod, flexible operating connections from the steering rod to the parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system, means to control the inclination, a spring inserted in the means to control the inclination, the connections being such that the two parts of the rear portion of the lifting plane system move together during a change in the inclination of the system but move independently and oppositely under the action of the steering rod and flexible connections to effect a change of curvature of the system, and the spindle being so positioned and the vshape and disposition of the lifting plane system such that a change of inclination of the lifting plane system effecting simultaneously a change of curvature, is accompanied by a small rotation of the system about the spindle of such an extent that the centre of pressure of the lifting plane system experiences practically no displacement relative to the centre of gravity of the whole aeroplane during the change of inclination, the spring connecti-on inserted in the means to control the inclination allowing a sudden change in the air pressure exerted on the lifting plane system to operate to produce a simultaneous change in the inclination and curvature of the system, such air pressure operation being independent of the hand controlled operation.

4. In lifting planes for aeroplanes, the combination with a spindle fixed transversely to the body of the aeroplane, of a plurality of lifting planes each divided transversely into front and rear portions hinged together, the rear portion being di.- vided longitudinally into separate right and left parts, struts connecting these planes, the lifting planes and their struts being rotatable about the spindle, a steering rod, flexible operating connections from the steering rod to the parts of the rear portion of the lifting planes, means to control the inclination, a spring inserted in the means to control the inclination, the connections being such that the two parts of the rear portion of the lifting planes move together during a change in the inclination of the system but move independently and oppositely under the action of the steering rod and flexible connections to effect a change of curvature of the system, and the spindle being so positioned and the shape and disposition of the lifting planes such that a change of inclination effecting simultaneously a change of curvature of the lifting planes is accompanied by a small rotation of the system about the spindle of such an extent that the centre of pressure of the lifting planes experiences practically no displacement relative to the centre of gravity of the whole aeroplane during the change'of inclination, the spring connection inserted in the means for controlling the inclination allowing 0, sudden change in the air pressure exerted on the lifting planes to operate to produce a simultaneous change in the inclination and curvature of the system, such air pressure operation being independent of the hand controlled operation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix 'my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JEAN FRDRIC HENRI DE VIGNON VANDEVIILDE.V v,

Witnesses BETTY HANSEN, GRUINHILD. 

